“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? So this is what we’ve chosen to do with our life.
Steve Jobs
Striving for excellence is an important part of professionalism in any job. It involves trying to put quality into everything you do, and this attitude tends to separate the achievers, who make rapid strides in their career from others.
Here are some of the attributes that these individuals tend to have.
Initiative
– Use initiative to act on opportunities. Become a leader before other people view you as one. Healthy organizations reward those who take the lead, not just those with formal management roles.
– Take responsibility for own objectives: set priorities.
– Display a “can do” attitude even in demanding situations.. Try to solve problems, rather than to pass them on to other people. First answer is ‘yes, I’ll make it happen’ .
– “Go the extra mile” when asked to do tasks. Go beyond your job description. Do work that gets you noticed.
– Show enthusiasm: this will be noticed and you will eventually be rewarded.
– Take ownership of problems: anticipate potential problems, take pre-emptive action and act quickly to resolve problems.
– Introduce improvements to the way things are done.
– Develop innovative practices. Value innovative thinking.
– Learn new skills that will enhance capability.
– Common sense is not common!
‘A positive, can-do attitude is a real selling point for graduates. This doesn’t have to be loud and gregarious, more a quiet confidence, willing to work hard to achieve goals which accord with the company’s objectives. Pride in your own work and a desire to give of your best will also go a long way.’
Employer Concepts of Graduate Employability
Inspiring, positive, determined!
– Give assistance to others. Respond positively to requests for help.
– Clarify the way forward for others.
– Empower others: great people help others to become great whereas weak individuals try to hold others back.
– Recognize that each person has a unique perspective.
– Have self confidence and inspire confidence in team members. Believe the team will be successful.
– Remain self-motivated even when things are going wrong.
– Recognize and draw attention to contributions from team members and give positive feedback
– Maintain networks of colleagues. Get to know as many people in your organization and industry as you can.
– Learn from your mistakes: they are just as useful as your successes
– Watch others who do their job really well and try to emulate what makes them successful.
“Excellence is about stepping outside the comfort zone, training with a spirit of endeavor, and accepting the inevitability of trials and tribulations. Progress is built, in effect, upon the foundations of necessary failure.
This is the essential paradox of expert performance. When these conditions are in place, learning takes off, knowledge escalates, and performance soars. You are on the path to excellence.”
Taken from “Bounce”, by Michael Syed.
Quality and professionalism
– Check the quality of your own work.
– Set out a clear vision of what is required for success.
– Compare the risks and benefits. Take calculated risks
– See the bigger picture.
– Give priority to customers.
The above article is from https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/excellence.htm. As you can notice from the URL and the website, this is from the United Kingdom. The same principles we have been discussing on www.pursuegreat.com is universal. Those who Pursue Great! In all you do, have specific trait, skills and habits in common.